Prices fall and now start to creep up?

After gas prices rocketed to near $5.00 per gallon, I was ready to park my truck and try to ride my bike to work. However, a morning started by a 10 mile bike ride is out of my realm of reality. I was very happy to be able to finally buy some gas below $2.00 per gallon.

This past week, evidently the Gas Company Robber Barons are back at it again. Prices at the pump are creeping up. A nickel here a penny there. Amazingly just in time to pick the pocket of travelers during the holiday season- "Ho Ho Ho! Make the Oil Companies some $$$. I am not going to drive anywhere that is not mission critical.

Tip: Drive below the posted speed limit!

HAPPY WINTER SOLSTICE

Gas Prices Suck As Ike Blows

In response to an outcry from consumers, Gov. Mike Easley declared an "abnormal market disruption" under North Carolina law, which prohibits stations from charging "unreasonably excessive" prices and gives the attorney general the authority to investigate claims of price gouging. Well, this is just dandy! Walking across my lawn is like a stroll through the grasses of a savannah plain. Walking in knee high weeds is tantamount to a hike in a jungle. Aggressive fire ants looking for higher ground with mounds everywhere. I can not see them, but they are out there- snakes!

I am feeling sorry for myself, but I have it easy. I am glad that I am not in Galveston, TX or areas in the path of Ike. With reports of power outages that my last two weeks, my thoughts reflect to Hurricanes Fran, Floyd and Dianne-- just to name a few that damaged my home in in Chadbourn, NC over the past decades.

So, as soon as the dew dries, I will head out on my trusty lawn mower, with it dull blades, and steer across the mounts of fire ants and thrash the twelve inch tall "grass" and whatever else is in my path. The price of gas is near $4.00 per gallon in the wake of a government declared "abnormal market disruption" under North Carolina law, which prohibits stations from charging "unreasonably excessive" prices and gives the attorney general the authority to investigate claims of price gouging. I will take my camera with me to document the "price gouging" attempts in our small town. The last time this happened, after Katrina, there was a station in town that was forced by a court to sell gas at cost until their "gouging" was refunded to customers. At least that was the gossip. That is what I heard...

Bad to Worse!

On the news last night, it was reported that the F150 had finally lost it title as the best selling vehicle in the US. The report stated that an import (gag!) has replaced it. No, I am not even going to put its name in my blog. Gas prices hover at an all time high in Chadbourn: $3.93 per gallon. It cost me $10 to fill up my gas can just to mow my lawn.

I guess we are in for a long haul with gas prices heading for $5.00 per gallon this summer. On top of that, it appears all our legislature can "afford" in the way of a pay raise is going to be 3%. What happened to the promise to raise teacher pay in North Carolina to the National Average by this coming year?

Bad to Worse?

Not really-- I have a job. It could be worse.

Looming Gas Prices

I almost threw up when I heard the folks in the media predicting that gas prices this spring will be $3.50 per gallon. This is not good. There are so many payments left in my payment book, it still looks like an old Sear catalog. If you are too young to remember what that looked like, you will not understand the lame attempt at humor.

When I think about retirement, I only have to look at reports like that to know why it is vital to maintain my truck, keep it washed and waxed, and baby it-- even though it's a gas guzzler.

It is difficult to believe that it was 75 degrees F here yesterday. Washing my truck was not an option for me. I did not have time to wash it before work and it was almost dark when I returned home. I should have taken my wash bucket to school and had my students wash my truck. What? NCLB? Pacing Guides? High-stakes testing? It was 75 and they did not want to read about cells.

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